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Police Investigate Large Snake Skin Found (Photo)

A large snakeskin found in a Wisconsin town may not be a threat to its residents, according to authorities.

Shed skin believed to belong to a constricting snake was located in Menominee Park in Oshkosh, as reported by WLUK.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources determined the snake could be up to 10 feet long and 75 pounds, according to WKOW. Although the department initially identified the skin as belonging to a Burmese python, a second analysis deemed the snake to be of a different variety, according to The Northwestern.

Nate Frank, a reptilian expert who works with snakes for scientific and evolutionary reasons, said the width of the scales along the stomach, the number of scales and the patterning on the shed corresponds to that of a boa constrictor.

Local residents were frightened to learn that such a large snake could be loose in their city.

"It’s probably big enough to get a small dog," one passerby told WGBA.

"Absolutely terrifying," another said.

However, experts say the snake is nothing to worry about.

"It's going to be sleeping during the day ... when people are enjoying the park," Jamie Kozloski, owner of Kingdom Animalia Exotic Animal Rescue, explained.

Although the snake is believed to be several feet long, it is also deemed to be non-venomous and not a threat to humans.

"These are some of the most docile of snakes that are kept in a captive setting," Frank said. "It's not something that will attack a dog or child."

Kozloski and law enforcement officers urged residents to notify authorities if they locate the snake, instead of trying to approach it.

"When you have a wild animal or an animal that's even frightened or hungry, they might lash out if they feel threatened," Kozloski explained.

It is unclear if the snakeskin was placed in the park as a prank, or if a pet snake was let loose by a local resident. Exotic snakes are not permitted in Oshkosh, according to city ordinance.